Bhagavata Purana

कालिय उवाच । वयं खलाः सहोत्पत्त्या तमसा दीर्घमन्यवः । स्वभावो दुस्त्यजो नाथ लोकानां यदसद्‍ग्रहः

Kaliya said: We are wicked by birth, enveloped in darkness and long-standing anger; O Lord, this nature is hard to abandon, for it is the false grasping found among all beings.

त्वया सृष्टमिदं विश्वं धातर्गुणविसर्जनम् । नानास्वभाववीर्यौजो योनिबीजाशयाकृति

By you, O Creator, this universe has been fashioned, with the distribution of qualities; its various natures, powers, energies, forms, seeds, and inclinations arise from you.

वयं च तत्र भगवन् सर्पा जात्युरुमन्यवः । कथं त्यजामस्त्वन्मायां दुस्त्यजां मोहिताः स्वयम्

And among them, O Lord, we serpents are born with fierce anger; how can we abandon your māyā, which is hard to give up, when we ourselves are deluded by it?

भवान् हि कारणं तत्र सर्वज्ञो जगदीश्वरः । अनुग्रहं निग्रहं वा मन्यसे तद् विधेहि नः

For you are the cause of all this, omniscient, Lord of the universe; whether you grant mercy or punishment, do as you deem fit for us.

श्रीशुक उवाच । इत्याकर्ण्य वचः प्राह भगवान् कार्यमानुषः । नात्र स्थेयं त्वया सर्प समुद्रं याहि मा चिरम् । स्वज्ञात्यपत्यदाराढ्यो गोनृभिर्भुज्यतां नदी

Śuka said: Hearing these words, the Lord, acting as a human, spoke: 'You must not remain here, O serpent; go to the ocean without delay. Leave this river to be enjoyed by cows, men, and your own kin, children, and wives.'

य एतत् संस्मरेन् मर्त्यः तुभ्यं मदनुशासनम् । कीर्तयन् उभयोः सन्ध्योः न युष्मद् भयमाप्नुयात्

Whoever among mortals remembers this instruction I have given you, and recites it at both twilights, will not suffer fear from you.

योऽस्मिन् स्नात्वा मदाक्रीडे देवादीन् तर्पयेज्जलैः । उपोष्य मां स्मरन्नर्चेत् सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Whoever bathes here, where I played, and offers water to the gods and others, then fasts and worships me, remembering me, will be freed from all sins.

द्वीपं रमणकं हित्वा ह्रदमेतमुपाश्रितः । यद् भयात्स सुपर्णस्त्वां नाद्यान्मत्पाद लाञ्छितम्

Having left the island of Ramanaka and taken refuge in this lake, you were not devoured by Suparna out of fear, for you bear my foot-mark.

श्रीऋषिरुवाच । एवमुक्तो भगवता कृष्णेनाद्‌भुतकर्मणा । तं पूजयामास मुदा नागपत्‍न्यश्च सादरम्

The sage said: Thus addressed by Krishna, whose deeds are wondrous, he was worshipped joyfully and respectfully by the wives of the serpent.

दिव्याम्बरस्रङ्‌ मणिभिः परार्ध्यैरपि भूषणैः । दिव्यगन्धानुलेपैश्च महत्योत्पलमालया

They honored him with divine garments, garlands, precious jewels, and ornaments, with fragrant ointments, and a great garland of lotuses.

पूजयित्वा जगन्नाथं प्रसाद्य गरुडध्वजम् । ततः प्रीतोऽभ्यनुज्ञातः परिक्रम्याभिवन्द्य तम्

Having worshipped the Lord of the universe, pleased Garuda-bannered Krishna, they circumambulated him and offered respectful salutations.

सकलत्रसुहृत्पुत्रो द्वीपमब्धेर्जगाम ह । तदैव सामृतजला यमुना निर्विषाभवत् । अनुग्रहाद् भगवतः क्रीडामानुषरूपिणः

With all his wives, friends, and sons, he departed for the ocean's island; at that moment, the Yamuna became free of poison, by the grace of the Lord who played in human form.

  गन्धधूपादिभिश्चार्चेद् द्वादशाक्षरविद्यया

He worshipped with incense, perfumes, and other offerings, using the twelve-syllable mantra.

सूत उवाच तत्र गोमिथुनं राजा हन्यमानमनाथवत् । दण्डहस्तं च वृषलं ददृशे नृपलाञ्छनम्

Sūta said: There, the king saw a cow and bull being beaten as if they were helpless, and he saw a low-born man holding a club, a disgrace to royalty.

वृषं मृणालधवलं मेहन्तमिव बिभ्यतम् । वेपमानं पदैकेन सीदन्तं शूद्रताडितम्

He saw the bull, white as a lotus stalk, trembling as if urinating in fear, shaking, standing on one leg, and weakened by blows from the Śūdra.

गां च घर्मदुघां दीनां भृशं शूद्रपदाहताम् । विवत्सामाश्रुवदनां क्षामां यवसमिच्छतीम्

He saw the cow, who once gave warm milk, now distressed, severely struck by the feet of the Śūdra, separated from her calf, with tearful face, emaciated, and longing for grass.

पप्रच्छ रथमारूढः कार्तस्वरपरिच्छदम् । मेघगम्भीरया वाचा समारोपितकार्मुकः

Mounted on his chariot, adorned with golden fittings, with a deep, thunderous voice and his bow raised, he questioned them.

कस्त्वं मच्छरणे लोके बलाद्धंस्यबलान् बली । नरदेवोऽसि वेषेण नटवत्कर्मणाद्विजः

Who are you, who in this world, under my protection, unjustly harms the weak? Though you appear as a king, your actions are like those of an actor, not a twice-born.

यस्त्वं कृष्णे गते दूरं सहगाण्डीवधन्वना । शोच्योऽस्यशोच्यान् रहसि प्रहरन् वधमर्हसि

You, who attack the innocent in secret, deserve to be killed, now that Kṛṣṇa has departed far away with the bearer of the Gāṇḍīva bow.

त्वं वा मृणालधवलः पादैर्न्यूनः पदा चरन् । वृषरूपेण किं कश्चिद्देवो नः परिखेदयन्

Or are you, white as a lotus stalk, walking with diminished feet, a deity in the form of a bull, causing us distress?

न जातु कौरवेन्द्राणां दोर्दण्डपरिरम्भिते । भूतलेऽनुपतन्त्यस्मिन् विना ते प्राणिनां शुचः

Never, while the earth was embraced by the mighty arms of the Kaurava kings, did grief afflict living beings here, except through you.

मा सौरभेयात्र शुचो व्येतु ते वृषलाद्भयम् । मा रोदीरम्ब भद्रं ते खलानां मयि शास्तरि

O daughter of Surabhi, do not grieve here; let your fear of the low-born vanish. Do not weep, mother; may auspiciousness be yours. I am the punisher of the wicked.

यस्य राष्ट्रे प्रजाः सर्वास्त्रस्यन्ते साध्व्यसाधुभिः । तस्य मत्तस्य नश्यन्ति कीर्तिरायुर्भगो गतिः

In whose kingdom all subjects suffer from the wicked and the good alike, that intoxicated ruler loses his fame, lifespan, fortune, and path.

एष राज्ञां परो धर्मो ह्यार्तानामार्तिनिग्रहः । अत एनं वधिष्यामि भूतद्रुहमसत्तमम्

This is the supreme duty of kings: to subdue the afflicted and punish their tormentors. Therefore, I shall kill this most wicked enemy of living beings.

कोऽवृश्चत्तव पादांस्त्रीन् सौरभेय चतुष्पद । मा भूवंस्त्वादृशा राष्ट्रे राज्ञां कृष्णानुवर्तिनाम्

Who has cut off your three legs, O daughter of Surabhi, you four-footed one? May such as you never exist in the realm of kings who follow Kṛṣṇa.

आख्याहि वृष भद्रं वः साधूनामकृतागसाम् । आत्मवैरूप्यकर्तारं पार्थानां कीर्तिदूषणम्

Tell me, O bull, may auspiciousness be yours, who is the cause of the disfigurement of the innocent, the defamer of the fame of the sons of Pṛthā.

जनेऽनागस्यघं युञ्जन् सर्वतोऽस्य च मद्भयम् । साधूनां भद्रमेव स्यादसाधुदमने कृते

One who inflicts harm on the innocent and spreads fear everywhere, for him only the welfare of the virtuous is ensured when the wicked are subdued.

अनागःस्विह भूतेषु य आगस्कृन्निरङ्कुशः । आहर्तास्मि भुजं साक्षादमर्त्यस्यापि साङ्गदम्

He who, though innocent among beings, commits offenses without restraint, I shall seize his arm directly, even if he is mortal and wears a bracelet.

राज्ञो हि परमो धर्मः स्वधर्मस्थानुपालनम् । शासतोऽन्यान् यथाशास्त्रमनापद्युत्पथानिह

For the king, the highest duty is to uphold his own dharma, to govern others according to the scriptures, and not to deviate from the path in adversity.